Indicating apparatus



Feb. 6, 1940.

R. H. GQULD 2,189,107

INDICATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 2, 1938 F eb. 6, 1940.

R. H. GOULD INDICATING APPARATUS Filed Deo. 2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 6, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v INDICATING APPARATUS Robert Howe Gould, Johannesburg, Transvaal, Union of South Africa 11 Claims.

This invention relates to indicating apparatus for use with energy-responsive instruments, especially instruments for measuring the consumption of electrical energy. The indicating apparatus also-affords an indication of the average load, or the maximum, and is in this respect similar tothe so-called maximum indicators.

One type of maximum indicating instrument subject to error when theduration of th-e maximum load does not coincide with the length of the registration periods which may be, for example, a quarter-hour. Furthermore, the maximum at any instant cannot be determined in less than one registration period.

The present invention contemplates an indicating device which operates-as an average or integrating meter, and particularly an apparatus for indicating the average load over deiinite periods and the energy consumption during such periods. An object is to provide an indicating apparatus of maximum indicator type in which the pointer does not start from zero at the beginning of each registration period but continuously indicates the actual average load, the maximum load during preceding registration periods, and the energy consumption for the prior registration period. An object is to provide indicating apparatus actuated by impulses each corresponding to a unit energy consumption, a plurality of devices'in which the impulses are accumulated in successive intervals into which the registration periods are divided, a pointer actuated in succession by each device during the interval in which the device is accumulating impulses, and mechanism for resetting each device to an initial zero position just prior to the next accumulation of impulses in that device, whereby the pointer displacement introduced during each interval of one registration period is removed at the start of the corresponding interval of 'the next registration period.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification when taken With the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l, is a fragmentary perspective View oi one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the gears for actuating and for resetting the accumulator gears, and parts associated therewith;

Fig. 2a is a fragmentary sectional view showing an accumulator gear in mesh with the driving gear;

Fig. 3 is a'chart of an assumed load over two registration periods;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the instrument scale and pointers; and l Figs. 5 and 6 are a diagrammatic and a fragmentary plan view of another embodiment.

The invention can be best understood by rst considering the general method of operation of the apparatus. It is assumed that a kilowatthour meter sends out a current pulse for each consumption of 1A kilowatt hour, and that these pulses are to be registered or accumulated for a registration period of 1/4 hour. Ii therefore during' a period of l5 minutes, N current pulses have been given to the indicating pointer by the meter, the pointer will indicate an average load of N kW. during the registration period. The pulses are transmitted tothe pointeraccording to the invention through transmission gears, the rotary displacements corresponding to the delivered current pulses being stored up by displacement of f the pointer. -For instance, if fifteen such gears are provided for connection with the impulseactuated member for intervals of about one minute, the impulses sent out during a period oi fifteen minutes are successively eiective on these gears. If the iirst gear receives a impulses, the second b impulses and the next c impulses, it is found that a total of Nza-l-b-l-c-l- -l-n-l-o (l) `impulses are the result, and the pointer actuated by the gears indicates N kW. at the end of the 15 minute period.

Each accumulating gear is turned back by the amount of rotary displacement previously imparted to it, and correspondingly returns the indicating pointer by that amount, just prior to the next accumulation of impulses in the several gears. At the beginning the 16th, 17th and each succeeding minute after their rst displacement, the indicating mechanism is set back by the increments a, b, c, etc., and the accumulated impulses at the start of the 16th minute is therefore N=N-a (2) During the 16th minute, the value is increased to N'=Na1-a (3) Where a is the number of impulses received from the meter during that interval. In case a is greater than a, the indicating pointer and a trailing pointer driven by the indicating mechanism assume a new position corresponding to Equation 3, otherwise the indicating pointer only is adjusted. At the end of the 16th minute, the indicating mechanism adjusts itself to the value N=N-a-la'b (4) At the end of the 17th minute, its position corresponds to the value Where b is the number of impulses received during the second interval of the registration period. In like manner, each accumulator gear is returned to its initial position at the beginning of the interval during which it is to receive impulses, and the pointer is thus moved back by the amount of its advance during the corresponding interval of the previous registration period.

In the drawings, vthe reference numeral l identifies ka relaythat is actuated by current pulses from successive closures of the switch contact C on the counter or meter (not shown), each circuit closure corresponding to arpredetermined :fixed increment of the consumed energy, for example to 1/4 kilowatt-hours-.orrlikilowattminutes. The relay armature 2 movesf'a-ratchet wheel 3 on shait 3 by one notch through a usual paw] mechanism, and this motionzisl transmitted by the driver gear 4 to one of the accumulator gears DI to DIS, and thereby to the gearing e which actuates the indicating pointer 6, and thereby the maximumpointer t". Y

The accumulatorgears are pivotally mounted on and extend radially ofthelaring rim of a dished plate 1,` and. each gear has a stoppin t for engagement with the plate to determine the Zero position of the gear. Thelplate Tis rotated by mechanism yto be described, and each gear moves into lockedy engagement. with therim of a stationary locking ring 9 as that gear is moved out of mesh with the driver `gear li. The ring @has a notch I which releases the accumulator' as they move into mesh with the driver 4, and a secondnotch il which releases the gears as they movefsuccessively into mesh with a re- Setting gear I2. p f

The notches Ill, II 4are spaced .by onehalf the pitch of the accumulator gears, and the advance of thegear plate 'I to bring successive oears 1in mesh with the driverlgear I! is made in .two steps. This mechanism for advancing'the plate 'iincludes a mechanical or .electrical lclockwork mechanism I3, a gear train id, l5 which drives gear I6 that is loose on the'shaftfl'l which carries ythe gear plate 1. The ratchet wheel VI8 isfsecured to shaft l1 and hasvthesaznenumber of `teeth as there are accumulator gears. .The `wheel i3 is connected tothe freewheel It by a spring I9 )and is :engaged by a doublefclawipawl 20 ythatis 'controlled by a cam 2! ontheshaft 22 thatis rotated atthezrateof oneturn-.perfminute by the :clock mechanism. CamzZl hasa notch into which .theendoiipamrl:20 moves to.v lift the latchng` claw and depress the lead-off claw to arrest vthe ratchet wheel IBafter it hasadfvanced .one-half the toothedrpitch. Furtherirotation of cam 2l .depresses vtheend of 'pawl 26 and latches ythe ratchet wheel after another. advance of one-half tooth. The first step of the ratchet wheel turns shaft 'I'I and gear plate 'il byone-half the gear interval to bring an .accumulator gear in line with thenotch H of the lockingring @,and` inmesh .with the resetting gear i 2 and the elongatedgear 5.of,the.pointerlmechanism. The secondstep of vtheratchet `wheel I8 turns, the plate I to vmove the gear'from, notch Il'to notch Il) of the ring 9,

and .thus into mesh with the driver gear.

LI'he cam 2| is.shaped topprovide a dwell of :about .one .secondbetween these steps, and` each 'accumulator gear is therefore vrneshed with the `resetting gear 12. for `about one second and meshed with "thefdriver gear f4 for about'E-f) seconds of the one minute interval.

The resetting gear I2 vis maintained under tension by a coil spring 23 in the housing 2A which is'coupled by bevel gears'ZE to the gear I2,fthe tspring l23 being wound by=shart 22-throughthe usual friction drive. The stress thus continuousyly imposedon the gear lItherefore rotates the accumulator gears, as they move in succession into line-with the releasing notch I I,=to restorefthe gears to zero position with their stop pins 8 in engagement with the gear pla-te L The edge of thegearplate `'i moves into atoothed lspace of gear I2 to kprevent therunwindingof the spring 22 when the accumulator gears move from the iresetting gear to the driving gear.

The rim of the gear plate l also interlocks with the Vdriver gear 4 when an accumulator gear is in mesh with the resetting gear. Currentpulses impartedto the relay I while the gear i is locked are ,stored in the ratchet wheel 3 which has a ,.pin-and-slot connection to a collar 26 on the shaft'S, and a spring 21 for yieldingly holding the wheelf' and collar 26 in predetermined rela tion. An advance of the wheel 3 when the gear 4 and'shaft 3 are iocked'tensions the spring A2l. and the shaft 3 is thereby rotated as soon as the gear 4 is freed by its engagement withfthe-next accumulatorgear. The correct number-of cure rent pulses is therefore imparted'to 'the accumu later gears and the lresultant position "ci the pointer 6 indicates the totalnumberof'current' pulses that occurred Within the preceding `fourteen to@ fifteen minutes, the summation for four- *I teen minutes being indicated at the beginning of one intervaland'for fifteen `minutes beingiindicated attheclose of that interval. Y

The number `of current pulses is proportional to the consumption in` kilowatt hours Vand this value divided kby the registration period, i. e., fifteen minutes, gives the average load in-kilow'atts for the registration period. For instance, in case of a load as shown in Fig. `3,'the following impulses and adjustments of the accumulator gears DI to Dl'occur in the rst quarter of an hour:

` Toad DWH' Accumuw Pointer Power limo] tion, 1mm, l\'o.o ladjuqi. consumption' Waits rnmgear impulses ments utes 75 kw; min l5 5 Dl l D2 1 D3 1 l D4 1 D5 1 l5 kw. min 3 5 D6 (l D7 0 D8 `0 A -Dfl 0 Dl() l lO'kw. min l0 'Dll 0 D12 "0 @D13 o `D14. 0 1 D15 '0 yAch-ance of the Vindicating pointer Y e.. .y .6 steps For the second quarter` of an hour,the followf ing tabulation corresponds tothe second section .ofthe-Fig. '3 chart, and, to theresultngcurrent `pulses and registrations l onsumpse naar of .are non Wattsjminutes gear impulses Fments eokwfmin f. 10" 5- Di i -1+1= Dz 1 1+it D3 '0 -1 D4 l -+l-il= y n 'D5 i i+1= l5 kw.mm 3 5 D6 0 0 D7 y0 '0 DS `'(l 0 D9 0 0 VD* 1 -i-.Li=0 Y G step's Advance' ofv the 'ibackwar indicating 5 st'e p s Apointer :forwards The scale of the indicating apparatus may be provided, as shown in Fig. 4, with graduations 28 of energy in terms of kilowatt-minutes and graduations of load in kilwatts. The above tabulations show that the pointers 6 and ii will be advanced six steps during the iirst registration period, and that the pointer il drops back to the fifth step during the second period. The pointers therefore stand in the positions shown in Fig. 4.

'Ihe position of pointer 6 is a measure of the actual average load and energy consumption during the previous fourteen or fifteen minutes, and the position oi pointer il shows the maximum load and the maximum energy consumption for any previous registering period. The accuracy of the indications will ci course be increased by decreasing the unit energy consumption value that produces a current pulse.

The electrically actuated accumulator gear assembly oi Figs. 5 and 6 may be employed in place o the mechanically actuated gears l, Figs. l and 2. The mechanism for advancing the gear assembly is not shown but may be substantially as previously described.

The several gears Dl to Dit are mounted on a rotatable ring 3G for successive engagement with the driver gear Si! which has a ratchet 32 xed thereto. A plate 33 surrounds the ge r assembly and locks the gears against rotation except for a short space adjacent the driver gear. Each accumulator has a spiral f ng 3d which rotates the gear` to bring stop pin 8 against the gear support when the gear clears the locking plate 33 and meshes with the bevel gear on the pointer staff Sil. The spur gear 35 on the pointer staff 3E is alined with the driver gear 3l, and the accumulator gears mesh, in succession, with gears 3l and 35.

The electrical circuit includes an impulse switch 3l that is driven by the meter or counter, a primary relay 38, a current source 39 and secondary relay 40. Relay 38 is connected to one terminal of the battery 39 and, through lead 4I to the armature 42 of relay 40, then through a normally closed switch 43, lead 44 and switch 31 to the other side of the battery. Relay 49 is connected to the lead 44 and through the normally open switch 45 of the relay 3B, to the second terminal of the battery. The armature 42 of the auxiliary relay carries a pawl 46 ior advancing the ratchet 32 of the driver gear 3l, and springs 4l normally retain the armatures in raised position. A stop 48 is connected to the mechanism for turning the accumulator gear ring 3i), and the stop is moved into position beneath the armature 42 during the advance motion of the gear ring.

Closure of switch energizes the relay 38 as the switch 43 is normally closed, and the switch 45 is thereby closed. This closure energizes the relay and, under normal conditions, the armature 42 drops to advance the reachet .t2 one step, and to open the circuit of relay 38 at switch 43. lf the stop 48 prevents movement of thearmature 42 of relay 4i), the switch 43 remains closed and the switch completes a holding circuit in which both relays are connected in series with the battery 3S. At the completion oi the movement of the accumulator gear ring to mesh a gear with the driver gear 3|, the stop 48 is Withdrawn and the armature 42 drops to depress the pawl llt and to open the holding circuit.

Manually operated means may be provided for setting the indicating pointer at any desired position. As shown in Fig. 6, this mechanism in* cludes a gear 49 that may be driven through a clutch 5B by a knob 5|. The gear 49 is positioned to mesh with the accumulator gear in the halfstep position o the gear ring 30 which meshes an accumulator gear with the resetting gear 35 on the pointer staff. l

It is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the particular apparatus herein described and that various modifications thereof fall within the spirit of my invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

l. Indicating apparatus for use with an energy consumption meter, said apparatus comprising a driver member adapted to be rotated at a speed proportional to the energy consumption measured by the meter, an indicating mechanism including a pointer and a gear member positively connected to the same, and accumulator means for transmitting motion from said driver member to said gear member; said accumulator means including a plurality of coupling gears, a support for said coupling gears, means for moving said support to move each coupling gear in succession into a coupling position of engagement with both of said members for one interval of a multipleinterval registration period, and means to impart to the indicating mechanism pointer just prior to movement of each coupling gear into said coupling position a displacement equal in magnitude and opposite in sense to the displacement transmitted to the pointer through that coupling lgear when the latter was in said coupling position during its previous registration interval.

2. Indicating apparatus for use with a metering device that emits a current pulse for each increase of the measured magnitude by a predetermined value, said apparatus comprising a driver gear and means responsive to current pulses to turn said gear, indicating mechanism including a gear, and accumulator means for transmitting motion from the driver gear to the driven gear; said accumulator means comprising a plurality of accumulator gears, a rotary support carrying said accumulator gears and movable to bring each accumulator gear in succession into and out of a position of meshing engagement with both said driver and said driven gear, and time-controlled means for rotating said support step-by-step to bring the individual accumulator gears successively into said engagement position at uniformly repeated intervals of xed duration.

3. Indicating apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein each accumulator gear has a stop for determining an initial zero position thereof, in combination with means for locking each accumulator gear against rotation during travel or that accumulator gear from said engagement position to an approach point adjacent said engagement position, and means for resetting each accumulator gear to zero position upon rea-ching said approach point.

4. Indicating apparatus of the type stated comprising a driver gear, means for intermittently driving said gear by uniform increments, indicating mechanism including a driven gear, and accumulator means for coupling said gears; said acciunulator means comprising a rotatable support, a plurality of accumulator gears on said support, stop means determining an initial zero position for each accumulator gear, time-controlled means for rotating said support to bring each accumulator gear in succession into two closely adjacent operative positions in uniformly repeated cycles of fixed dwell intervals, each ac- Cil cumulator gear meshing With said driven gear in its rst operative position and meshing With both said driver and said driven gears in its second operative position, means locking said accumulator gears against rotation during movement from said second position back to said first position, and means for resetting each accumulator gear to zero position upon reaching the first operating position.

5. Indicating apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said locking means comprises a stationary ring having an edge portion engaging in the teeth of the accumulator gears.

6. Indicating apparatus as claimed in claim 4. wherein said resetting means comprises a resetting gear positioned to mesh with the accumulator gears when in the iirst operative position, a spring tensioned to actuate said resetting gear, and means for maintaining said spring under tension.

7. indicating apparatus as claimed in claim fi, wherein said resetting means comprises a resetting spring for each accumulator gear.

8. Indicating apparatus comprising a driver gear, intermittently actuated impulse means for turning said driver gear through one tooth space, indicating mechanism including a driven gear, accumulator means including a plurality of accumulator gears and means supporting the same for movement in succession into an active posi tion of meshing engagement with both said driver gear 'and said driven gear, means locking said driver gear against motion during the movement of successive accumulator gears into said active position, and means for storing an impulse in said impulse means for subsequent turning of said driver gear in the event said impulse means is actuated While said driver gear is locked.

9. Indicating apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said storing means is a tensioned 10stmotion coupling.

l0. Indicating apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said storing means comprises electrical means.

11. Indicating means for use with a kilowatt hour meter that emits a current pulse for each successive consumption of a predetermined unit of consumed energy, said apparatus comprising a driver gear, means responsive to the emitted current pulses to actuate said gear, indicating mechanisrn including an indicating pointer and a maximum pointer movable over a scale graduated in load and in energy values, a driven gear for displacing said indicating pointer, a plurality oi ccurnulator gears, time-controlled means for moving said accumulator gears in succession into active position in mesh withboth said driver and said driven gear for cyclically repeated intervals of ilXed duration, and means moving each accumulator gear and the driven gear backward by the amount of its advance during the last active interval immediately prior to the .rrival of that accumulator gear at said active position, whereby the indicating pointer continuously indicates average consumption during the preceding cycle and the maximum pointer indicates the maximum consumption during any preceding cycle.

ROBERT HOWE GOU'LD. 

